Hollywood Park

Quarter Horse Barbra B defeats Thoroughbred Fair Truckle (GB) in two furlong match race at Hollywood Park on August 4, 1947. Two months later, Fair Truckle would go on to set a new world record for six furlongs (1:08 2/5) at Golden Gate Fields in October 1947. In the stud, Fair Truckle would become the damsire of Soldier Girl, who equaled the world record for five furlongs (:56 2/5) at Del Mar in August 1964. Photo available from historicimages.com, part number neb63238.

The little brown four-year-old filly, bred as a cow boy pony, simply was too fast for the expensive importation from Ireland, owned by the wealthy turfman Charles S. Howard. A wild cheer went up from an estimated 5,000 spectators, as Barbara B [sic] sprinted over the finish line two and one-half lengths in front in 21 3-5 seconds.

It was a colorful crowd, from the southwestern cow country, which walked through the open gate to watch the seldom-if-ever saga of the tracks. Clad mostly in wide-brimmed hats, boots and overall trousers, they occupied the boxes where last Saturday a fashionably dressed movie crowd helped close out the Hollywood Park season.

Aboard Fair Truckle, four-year-old son of Fair Trial by Truckle, was the veteran Johnny Longden. Up on Barbara B [sic], a not so costly importation from the Arizona ranch country, sired by a cheap thoroughbred and whose dam was a $30 mare, was Tony L. Licata, who has been riding Arizona tracks.

Barbara B’s [sic] owner, Roy Gill, of Tucson, was a spectator, but an attack of influenza kept Fair Truckle’s boss, C. S. Howard, in bed. His son, Bob, did the honors for the family.

Melville Haskell, president of the Quarter-Horse Racing Association of Arizona, apparently settled on the $100,000 nature of the purse. “I know it’s $100,000,” he declared, “but I guess the owners didn’t want too much said about that and we of the Quarter-Horse Association don’t either, because we look on this as more of a sporting proposition.”

The elder Howard earlier had spiked reports that his share was $50,000, describing it as “much less.” Each owner had posted a $10,000 forfeit.

Sporting proposition or no, there was plenty of cash in sight. Many of the visitors, from Arizona, New Mexico, and as far distant as Texas, were literally bulging with coin and greenbacks. Thousands of dollars in side bets changed hands. There was no pari-mutuel betting.

Hollywood Park officially took no part in the event, beyond leaving the gate open. The event had been advertised as closed to the public and otherwise the crowd might have been larger.

The race was set from a regulation starting gate set back forty-five feet from the quarter pole, a condition agreed upon because Barbara B [sic] wasn’t used to fancy gates. Before today, her trainer Lyo Lee, had claimed a time of 22 3-5 seconds for her over the quarter, but told reporters he feared the change in altitude from the New Mexico tracks where she had been running might tell on her.

She has been racing only a year, Gill picking her up for $3,000 after her original owners had decided she might be worth more racing than for calf roping. Each horse carried 110 pounds.

Contrary to appearances from the grandstand, Fair Truckle was out of the gate first, but Barbara B [sic] within a few strides grabbed the lead and Licata said he knew the race was in the bag from then on.

Longden was more specific.” (New York Herald Tribune, 08/05/1947)

“A recent composition in this corner dealt with the famous match race of a few years back when the quarter horse Barbra B outlegged the thoroughbred Fair Truckle two days after a regular Hollywood Park meeting.

It was a noteworthy event, for the late Charles S. (for Seabiscuit) Howard put up $50,000 in the belief that his Fair Truckle could fly a quarter of a mile faster than Barbra B, owned by Roy Gill of Arizona.

The cover that concealed the monetary problems attendant to a match race of such fiscal magnitude was pried off for us by Ralph W. Bilby, a well-known Tucson who is attorney and corporation director for the Gill brothers – Roy, Emmett and Adolph, successful and prosperous cattle ranchers.

Fair Truckle had been regarded as the forerunner of jet propulsion. Hailed as the fastest thing on four feet for a quarter of a mile, the Howard charger’s fame spread until it reached the ears of Roy Gill. A few discreet inquiries revealed that Howard was prepared to back his speedster with 50 grand against anything the quarter horse people could come up with short of a motorcycle. Gill promptly cranked up Barbra B.

Scores of Arizona cowpokes and ranch owners immediately beseeched Gill for a piece of his action. He retained $30,000 for his own interests, and let the rest of it out in bets ranging all the way from $50 to $500.

The day before the race Gill telephoned Bilby, who was vacationing in La Jolla, asking him to help him get the bets squared away.

“So I did,” Bilby explained. “Roy handed me a bundle of currency about a foot high. Did you ever try to count out $50,000 in 5s, 10s, 20s and nothing bigger than a century note? Don’t do it unless you get backed into a corner.

I’ll bet I counted that stuff 40 times trying to make it come out even Finally I was satisfied there was $50,000. I took it out to Hollywood Park with me and went over to an armored car we had hired for the occasion.

Pretty soon Mr. Howard’s emissary showed up. He was a suave, sophisticated, well-dressed gentleman who looked as if he had just stepped out of the U.S. Mint. I handed him my bundle. He counted it carefully and finally said, with great dignity, ‘I make 50.’

Then he extracted a thin envelope from his inside coat pocket. In it were 50 new, crisp $1000 bills. I determined not to let this guy make me look like a big hayshaker from Arizona, so I made a neat pile of them and replied, ‘I, too, make 50.’

As you know, Barbra B won by about two lengths. Outside was the armored car with $100,000 in it. I figured we’d leave it right there. But the moment the race was over, most of the people who had a chunk of Roy’s bet came up and demanded their money.

So out to the truck we went and I counted out what each man had coming to him. In the meantime, the armored wagon had departed and I had about $65,000 left. I put it in an envelope, stuck it in my pocket and we made for the nearest establishment specializing in liquid resuscitation. Well, one revitalizing led to another. Heaven only knows how many different spots we checked size and quality, but I recall we reached our hotel about 3 a.m.

Early the next morning I opened one eye. It was quite a trick, all things considered. Then panic set in and I hit the floor with both feet, grabbed for the light switch and tried to think what I’d done with the 65 grand. You know where it was? In an envelope on top of the dresser about eight feet from a door we’d forgotten to lock. I died a thousand deaths waiting for the bank to open so I could deposit it to Gill’s account in Tucson.

But if my nerves were a little quick then, you should have seen them when I picked up the morning paper. On the front page was a story about a grocer who had been killed that very night for a lousy 500 bucks. What do you suppose they would have done to me for $65,000?”
(Ned Cronin / Los Angeles Times, 05/09/1955)

Entries for the first “Today at Caliente” television program (Los Angeles Times, 03/13/1949)

“AGUA CALIENTE, Mex., March 11 – A deal has been closed with the Los Angeles Times – Columbia Broadcasting television station KTTV whereby the most extensive telecast of horse racing ever beamed over an American station will be aired Sunday from 10 to 10:30 pm.

A broadcast setup was arranged by Joe Hernandez through the courtesy of Walter C. Marty, general manager of the local course. Hernandez will call the races.

A television crew will be flown to Caliente in a special chartered Paul Mantz plane. Eight races beginning with the second event will be filmed. The film will be flown back to Los Angeles, processed there and made ready for airing at 10 o’clock.

Other tracks have had one or two races beamed over television. This is the first time such an extensive airing as eight races has been tried. The deal between Hernandez and KTTV is for four weeks with, it is understood, an option for a renewal for a year.” (Los Angeles Times, 03/12/1949)

Los Angeles Times, 10/30/1949

“New records in speedy film production are being set weekly at KTTV, Channel 11, in presentation of the Agua Caliente races.

Less than four hours after the races are run Sunday, viewers here see them on the Los Angeles Times-CBS television station.

In actual production time the film, more than 1600 feet of it, is processed, edited and cut into a half-hour show in about three hours. Compare this to the three months needed by most motion picture studies to produce films that run 70 to 90 minutes.

The men responsible for these speedy production records are Harry Lehman, film producer; Joe Hernandez, announcer, and Danny Rouzer, cameraman. Lehman and Hernandez produced their first “Today at Caliente” program last March 13, marking the first program produced in Mexico for telecasting here.

Getting their film back in time from Caliente track was their biggest problem. They solved this by chartering a plane through Paul Mantz. Next they arranged through Wilson Leahy of Acme Film Laboratories to have a special crew standing by to do the processing.

Processing time on the 1600 feet of film has been cut now to one hour and 20 minutes. Arranging the show’s sequence and cutting film take two hours. By 9:30 p.m. Lehman has the show in shape for delivery to The Times station, where it is telecast at 10 p.m.

“Today at Caliente” is a television version of a 14-year-old radio program produced by Hernandez, called “Today at the Races.”

Part of the credit for its production today goes to Walter Marty, general manager for the Baja California race track. He contacted Lehman and Hernandez after some unsuccessful experiments had been made in 1948 at Santa Anita and Del Mar.

The result was the first program ever to bring Southern California viewers the races on the day they are run.” (Los Angeles Times, 10/30/1949)

“It’s hoss time again and KTTV (11) is playing early Santa Claus to those who won’t be able to attend Hollywood Park to personally improve the breed with their donations.

Starting tomorrow night at 10:30 and each Tuesday through Saturday during the current racing season, the station will show the afternoon races on a half-hour show.

This gives KTTV a six-day program of races with Joe Hernandez calling the Caliente races every Sunday night at 10 p.m.

My good friend Braven Dyer inaugurates the series tonight with his “Turf Topics” show at 10:45. He has the 1950 Goose Girl, Derline Smith, George Smith, one of Australia’s leading jockeys who is riding at Hollywood Park, and Al Wesson, director of publicity, as guests.” (Walter Ames / Los Angeles Times, 06/26/1950)

On July 13, 1946, the 3-year old filly Honeymoon defeated longshot 3-year old colt Pere Time by six lengths to win the Hollywood Derby (10f) at Hollywood Park. Co-favorite (coupled with stablemate Honeymoon) Eiffel Tower would finish a head back of Pere Time in third, making it a trifecta for stallion Beau Pere (GB).

JUNE 1964
The Railbird Stakes (7f) on June 4 was Soldier Girl’s first attempt at a distance longer than six furlongs. Racing on the lead for much of the race, her half-mile time in the Railbird was :43 3/5, the fastest in Hollywood Park history. She would ultimately tire and finish seventh in the field of eleven behind winner Fran La Femme.

“I can’t believe she went that fast with the hold I had,” declared pacemaster John Longden after climbing down from the dead-tired favorite. “She was trying to get out bad down the chute and I had to fight her.” – Bion Abbott (Los Angeles Times, 06/05/1964)

Cutting back to her proven distance of six furlongs, Solider Girl won the Montecito Country Club at Hollywood on June 12 by 6 ½ lengths over Steel Edge in 1:10 2/5. Attempting to stretch out once more – this time to a mile – she would the end the month with a sixth place finish in the Honeymoon Stakes (1 mi.) on June 23, where Gim Mah, Fran La Femme, and Lil’s Nite Out would take the top three spots.

JULY 1964
In her final start at Hollywood prior to moving to Del Mar for the rest of the summer, Soldier Girl would take on males in the Ojai Purse (6f) on July 8, defeating Oldie by one length in 1:09 2/5.

AUGUST 1964
Soldier Girl’s first start at Del Mar came in the Oceanside Handicap (6f) on August 1. Due to the number of entrants, the race was split into two divisions. Assigned to the second division and making her second straight start against males, Soldier Girl would win her division of the Oceanside by three lengths over Sir Echo in 1:08 4/5.

“There isn’t a horse in the country that can beat her at five furlongs,” Tusquellas said when it was over. “I’d welcome a match race for her.” – Bob Hebert (Los Angeles Times, 08/02/1964)

Again racing against males, Soldier Girl would win the Culver City Lions Club Handicap (5f) on August 13 by 1 ½ lengths over Rich Mel and Mr. Thong. Her final time of :56 2/5 lowered the previous track record of 1:00 set by Claudian in 1937 by almost four seconds, and equaled the world record for five furlongs set by Bettyanbull at Turf Paradise in 1959 (Bettyanbull herself was a speedball of the highest order, having equaled Lucky Mel’s world record of :56 3/5 for five furlongs at Turf Paradise in February 1958, and then claiming the record outright in 1959). The Culver City Lions Club was an exceptionally fast race, with all seven starters in the race running a sub-1:00 time.

“It’s no “cold war” as far as Soldier Girl is concerned. The hottest thing this turf-and-surf course has seen since the heyday of Crazy Kid marches after another stakes triumph in this afternoon’s $16,125 Bing Crosby ‘Cap.” – Bob Hebert (Los Angeles Times, 08/22/1964)

Prior to Soldier Girl’s start in the Bing Crosby Handicap (6f) on August 22, Tusquellas was offered $100,000 for the filly while in the paddock. At the time, he said he would most likely accept, although he never did. Solider Girl continued her winning ways in the Bing Crosby, winning by 2 ½ lengths in 1:09 2/5. More Megaton and Rich Mel would dead heat for second place.

SEPTEMBER 1964
In her final start at Del Mar on September 9, Soldier Girl won the Palomar Handicap (6f) by two lengths in 1:09 2/5 over Jam N Jellie. Despite being saddled with the heaviest impost of her career at 126 lbs., her five furlong fractional time was :56 2/5, equaling her world record equaling time clocked in the Culver City Lions Club in August.

Following the seasonal closure of Del Mar, Soldier Girl went upstate to Bay Meadows, defeating Mr. Thong in the Peninsula Handicap (6f) on September 19 by 2 ¾ lengths in 1:09 4/5.

OCTOBER 1964
Having conquered all there was to conquer on the West Coast, Soldier Girl would travel to Garden State Park in New Jersey for the Quaker City Handicap (6f) on October 12. Her attempted eastern campaign would be disastrous. In the Quaker City, Solider Girl would suffer the third loss of her career, finishing thirteenth in the field of fourteen. The winner, Tosmah, would equal the track record of 1:08 4/5.

Soldier Girl would make one additional start on the east coast in the Interborough Handicap (6f) at Aqueduct on October 21, where she would finish last in the field of six. Affectionately would win.

IN RETIREMENT
Retired following her last place finish in the Interborough, Soldier Girl was bred to Nashville in the spring of 1965. She would produce fourteen foals from 1966 to 1984, with her most successful offspring being the graded stakes winning gelding Soldier’s Lark (by T. V. Lark).

Initially owned by Desi Arnaz during her breeding career, Soldier Girl would pass through several hands before being purchased by Tom Gentry for $115,000 (in foal to Wajima) at the 1980 Keeneland November Sale. Gentry’s stock was dispersed at Keeneland in March 1986, where the 25-year-old Soldier Girl (said to be in foal to Encino) would sell for $1,000.

“A few years ago, they imported Hakuchikara, a champion runner from Japan, and as he paraded to the post at Santa Anita, a young thing in the audience was heard to murmur disappointedly “He doesn’t look Japanese.”” – Jim Murray (Los Angeles Times, 02/23/1962)

Arrival in the United States
On May 27, 1958, Japanese champion Hakuchikara arrived in Los Angeles from Tokyo via private charter on a DC-4. Accompanied by jockey Takayoshi Yasuda and Reikichi Ishida of the Nosawa Limited bloodstock agency of Japan, his travel expenses were sponsored by the Japan Racing Association (and possibly Hollywood Park). Owned by Hiroshi Nishi of Tokyo, Hakuchikara was under the supervision of trainer Robert “Bob” Wheeler while in the United States.

Once in Los Angeles, things were off to a bad start for Hakuchikara, as due to nutritional differences between the feed he was to receive in the United States and the feed he received in Japan, the colt began receiving smaller portions than he was accustomed to. This was upsetting to him, and he resorted to eating the bedding of his stall.

While the original goal for Hakuchikara was the Hollywood Gold Cup (10f) at Hollywood Park on July 2, his first start in the United States would instead come in the Legion Fireworks Purse (8.5f) on the Hollywood Gold Cup undercard. Ridden by Yasuda, who had been aboard for the majority of his starts in Japan, Hakuchikara would finish last in the field of nine.

Hakuchikara (Takayoshi Yasuda up) during the running of the Legion Fireworks Purse at Hollywood Park, 07/02/1958. Located in the front, second from left in photo. Photo: USC Digital Library (Los Angeles Examiner Collection, 1920-1961).

Making two more starts at Hollywood in the month of July, Hakuchikara would again finish last in a field of nine in an eight furlong race on July 8 and fourth in the Sunset Handicap (13fT) behind winner Gallant Man (GB) on July 22.

Moving to Del Mar for the rest of the summer, Hakuchikara would finish sixth in the Del Mar Handicap (9f) on September 1. He may have finished sixth in the Oceanside Handicap in August; however, at that time the Oceanside was restricted to 3-year-olds (Hakuchikara was a 5-year-old at the time) and was run on July 26, so it is uncertain if this is information is erroneous, pertains to a race similarly named, or if there was a second Oceanside run for older horses.

After an extended break, Hakuchikara would return for a second place finish in a nine furlong turf allowance at Santa Anita on December 26. Yasuda was no longer aboard, replaced by Eddie Arcaro.

Hakuchikara would begin 1959 with a third place finish behind MacBern and Andrew Alan at Santa Anita in the San Gabriel Handicap (10fT) on January 1. He would make two more starts at Santa Anita in the month of January, finishing second in a ten furlong race on January 16 and fifth in a nine furlong race on January 27. With Arcaro no longer aboard and Raymond “Ray” York up, Hakuchikara would finish fourth in the San Luis Rey Handicap (12fT) on February 10.

Nine months after his arrival in Los Angeles, Hakuchikara would earn his first win, defeating Anisado (ARG) by a neck in the Washington’s Birthday Handicap (12fT) at Santa Anita on February 23. Over a soft Santa Anita turf course and considered an extreme longshot against the likes of the overwhelming favorite Round Table, he would return $91.40 for the win. Round Table would grab a quarter during the race and finish last in the field of sixteen.

The Washington’s Birthday would be the only win and final in the money finish for Hakuchikara in the United States. Over the next five months, he would finish last in a field of fourteen in the San Juan Capistrano Handicap (14fT) at Santa Anita on March 11, sixth in an eight furlong allowance at Hollywood on May 9, last in a field of nine in the Californian (8.5fT) at Hollywood on May 23, last in a field of eleven in the Bowling Green Handicap (1 ¾ miT) at Belmont Park on June 24, eighth in the Sussex Turf Handicap (11fT) at Delaware Park on July 4, and sixth in a one mile allowance at Delaware on July 22.

Hakuchikara was retired to stud in Japan (Aomori Prefecture) in 1960, with his first reported foals arriving in 1961. He was sent to India in 1968, where he resided until his death on August 6, 1979.

The below photos are of Gallant Man (GB) and John Nerud arriving in Los Angeles on July 6, 1958, bound for Hollywood Park. Gallant Man would win the Hollywood Gold Cup and Sunset Handicap while in California.